by Justin Goodhart
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's women's basketball team secured an 86-57 victory over Clarks Summit in game one of the Pride-Spirit-Honor Tournament at the Capital Union Building on Saturday night, Nov. 26 behind a strong shooting night from beyond the arc.
Ciani Redd-Howard poured in a career-high 22 points off the bench to lead the way for the Lions (3-3), while Jayla Galbreath and Kendis Butler netted 16 points apiece. Bailey Oehmig added eight points and six rebounds, while Mikayla Wright scored nine points off the bench to balance the scoring.
The Lions' strong shooting started right from the jump as they scored 32 points during a blistering first quarter. With 7:11 left in the second quarter, after the Defenders (2-4) cut it to a 32-30 deficit, Macy Carroll connected on a long range 3-pointer to make it 35-30. From there, Penn State Harrisburg outscored the visitors 22-6 the rest of the way to end the first half with a 54-36 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, Galbreath and Butler connected on triples to extend the lead to a 23-point cushion. Later in the fourth, Redd-Howard scored six straight and scored eight of her 22 in the frame before Oehmig contributed a key offensive rebound that led to a Butler layup for the Lions to ensure the victory.
NOTABLES
- Penn State Harrisburg shot 53.1 percent from the field, compared to the Defenders' 38.6 percent.
- The Lions shot 12-of-30 from beyond the arc. The 40-percent clip is a season high for the team.
- The Lions racked up a total of 26 assists.
- Penn State Harrisburg forced 23 turnovers and scored 26 points off those CSU miscues.
- Butler, Galbreath, and Oehmig shot a combined 9-of-18 from 3-point land.
- Jenna Montana contributed seven rebounds and seven assists.
- The Defenders won the second chance points battle 10-5.
- The Lions depth proved to be key as they got 43 points from the bench, compared to the Defenders getting a dozen points from their reserves.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions have a quick turnaround as they will host Juniata on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 27 in the Pride-Spirit-Honor Championship Game. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.